Two female suicide bombers kill 27 (AP) Updated: 2005-12-06 20:00
In London, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw on Monday encouraged the
kidnappers of the Briton to make contact, saying "we stand ready to hear what
they have to say."
The British Broadcasting Corp. cited a Western diplomat in Baghdad as saying
direct contact had been made with the hostage-takers. It did not name the
diplomat.
Straw, however, underlined the British government's refusal to negotiate with
kidnappers or pay ransom.
There is no evidence the kidnappings were coordinated, and those responsible
for abducting the German aid worker and four Christian peace activists claim to
represent different groups. But the incidents do seem timed to Saddam's trial or
the Dec. 15 elections.
Mustafa Alani, director of security and terrorism studies at the Gulf
Research Center in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, said he thinks the sudden
increase is not an accident.
"There is some sort of policy to go back to kidnappings," he said. "The
elections are coming and these groups want attention and publicity. That way
their political statement will get a priority in the Western
media."
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